Ferm supports women in engineering

Ferm Engineering is next year embarking on a major effort to encourage more women to study engineering.

CEO Stephen Burton says supporting school-based STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs may lead to more fire engineers graduating from universities.

He’ll talk at schools about fire engineering and how to become a professional fire engineer.

An Engineers Australia Women in Engineering report found the biggest reason girls don’t study engineering is they don’t know what engineering is and what engineers do. Ferm will continue its voluntary involvement with schools and the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Women in Engineering (WiE)program.

WiE’s goal is to have more than 250 female engineering graduates every year. The program runs school outreaches and events for high school students and teachers, university students, industry professionals and alumni.

As a UQ and QUT alumni, Stephen has long been associated with the universities’ fire safety programs and mentoring and presents guest lectures at both.

Ferm will get more involved with school career advisers to provide technical advice on STEM subjects to promote awareness of engineering and fire safety. That builds on work Ferm has been doing with the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority since 2018.

Stephen says: “It is vital that more women see engineering, and fire engineering particularly, as a valid career choice and select the right subjects during high school to get them on a pathway to engineering degrees.”

Stephen has been mentoring engineering students for more than 10 years and providing work experience and employment for graduates.

This year he mentored two female graduates, including University of Melbourne student Nourehan Wahba, through the Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS) Mentorloop program. She has now completed a masters degree in mechanical engineering.

IMNIS connects students with high-level industry leaders for mentoring and professional development.

Architecture student Amy Anthony, who did work experience with Ferm, has now graduated and had a choice of excellent job offers as a qualified architect.

Stephen says Ferm will continue to contribute to greater workplace diversity and plans to employ a female engineering graduate in 2023.